


the storm is coming now

by i_was_human



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: ??????, Angst, Crack, Enemies to Lovers, Estrangement, Gen, Kang Dongho | D.Min Rolled a 1 On Communication, M/M, Rebellion, my flagrant sa1nt bias rears its head once more, no beta we die like minsung's pen, pacing? haven't met her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27771622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: "Am I interrupting something?"The pen in Minsung's hand snaps, ink spraying all over the schematics in front of him, and Dongho stares at him, visibly unimpressed.Great. This is just... so great? Minsung's doing great.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | D.Min/Lee Minsung, Lee Minsoo & Lee Minsung
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	the storm is coming now

The last time Minsung sees Minsoo, it's a cold winter's day.

Minsoo's standing in front of him, dark hair hidden under a hood and a scarf pulled up over his nose, and Minsung can do nothing but stare, heart shattering to pieces somewhere near his feet.

It just-

"Why?"

His voice comes out low, wrecked, _broken_ , and Minsoo angles his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I can't work with you any longer, hyung."

And _that_ was their mistake, Minsung thinks - focusing on their petty squabbles as opposed to the genuine problem - but Minsoo's standing in front of him, bag slung over his shoulder, and Minsung _can't breathe_.

"I'm going to find them," Minsoo states, and _no_ , Minsung wants to cry, _revenge isn't what we need right now, we need to strike at the disease, not the symptoms_ , but Minsoo's standing there, small and bright and _achingly burning_ in a way Minsung hasn't seen since before their parents died, and he-

he lets him go.

If he had known after the fact, he thinks, he wouldn't have done it. He would have grabbed Minsoo's hand and begged him to stay, begged for him to come back to their shitty apartment with sporadic heating and the memories of people newly-dead in each corner, but he _didn't_ , and now-

well.

Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it?

"Stay safe," he murmurs hours after the fact, when he's inside and wrapped up in a threadbare blanket with torn-up gloves covering his hand, and it means nothing, means nothing when Minsoo can't hear it, but he says it anyways.

Why?

He's never done anything, he thinks, but he always liked to pretend he did something.

Isn't that his greatest bane?

* * *

The next time Minsung sees Minsoo, it isn't Minsoo at all.

He's working in his office, hair pushed back and pen between his teeth, when Youngjoon enters, hair tied back and hands stuffed in his jacket.

"Hyung?"

"Joon," Minsung greets, dropping the pen and jolting to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"We found three people outside," Youngjoon reports, and Minsung nods, raking a hand through his hair.

"Yeah?"

Normally, if they find someone outside, it's because they passed out from hunger or needed a place to stay. Those, they give a meal and offer a place to stay, but from the sounds of it, this isn't that.

"...they say they want your help."

Again, this is normal. A lot of people come asking for help from Siren - a name he's somehow acquired - but yet again, he feels like Youngjoon isn't telling him everything.

"So why do I need to see them?"

Youngjoon pauses for a moment, weighing his words before speaking, and Minsung's about to ask what's so wrong that he can't just say it-

"It's about your brother."

Time grinds to a halt.

 _Minsoo_ \- his little brother, a boy forever frozen in his mind at fifteen - is here? Needing help?

"He's not here," Youngjoon explains, fiddling with the cuffs of his jacket. "You should... you should meet them, hyung."

He pushes open the door to an interrogation room, and _oh_.

There's a man sitting at the table.

Dark hair falls in waves by his face, and his sharp eyes are fixed on Kyunghun, expression carefully measured. Or, well, _eye_ \- a bloody bandage covers one cheek - and the more Minsung looks at him, the more evident it becomes that he's been in a fight.

"Minsung-ssi," the man greets, expression not wavering in the slightest. "You live up to expectations."

"Minsoo talked about me?"

"Nothing good," the man evenly replies, hands twitching in his handcuffs. 

...what can Minsung even say to that?

"What's your name?" he finally asks, and the man frowns, gesturing to the other side of the table. 

"It doesn't matter. We need to act quickly."

"I won't work with you if I don't know your name."

"Kang Dongho," the man finally replies, gesturing to the seat next to Kyunghun once more. "Now. Sit."

* * *

Kang Dongho is _insufferable_ , Minsung soon learns.

The man seems to take everything as a personal insult - everything from the set-up of their base to the food to the fact that they _dared_ to handcuff the people he brought with him. Then he gets mad, and he yells, and he's just... _so fucking infuriating_.

"You're making an effort," Kyunghun drawls, and Minsung tightens his grip on his pen, gaze pinned on the schematics in front of him.

" _Thank you_ , Kyunghun."

"Have you seen his abs, though?" Hyunjin chips in, and Minsung's grip tightens further, thumb pressing against the top of the pen.

"Yes, Hyunjin, I _have_."

"I mean, I'm just saying, he's _pretty hot_ -"

"Am I interrupting something?"

The pen in Minsung's hand snaps, ink spraying all over the schematics in front of him, and Dongho stares at him, visibly unimpressed. 

Great. This is just... so great? Minsung's doing great.

"...alright," Dongho finally states, placing a stack of papers on the table. "I drew up some plans of attack and located the weak point of the facility we suspect is holding Minsoo. Is there anything else you need?"

Minsung stares at him for an instant - taking in the dark-rimmed eye, slightly messy hair, and stain-coated jacket - and exhales, placing the papers to the side. "Get some rest, Dongho-ssi."

"I can do more," Dongho states, and Minsung stares at him for an instant, expression blank.

"You're no use to anyone if you're dead on your feet."

"I'm fine."

"Get some rest," Minsung repeats, and Dongho exhales, pulling his lower lip between his teeth. "And go get checked out in medbay, for fuck's sake. I don't want you bleeding out all over the floor."

"You assume I can't bandage myself."

"I assume you would prefer to have someone else do it."

"Are you questioning my skills?"

"Just your sanity."

"Is this flirting?" Hyunjin hisses, and Kyunghun simply shrugs.

* * *

The next time Minsung sees Dongho, it's much less formal.

He's passing by medbay when he catches sight of a trio curled up on one of the far beds, and as he draws closer, his lips curl into a tiny grin.

Dongho's lying underneath two visibly exhausted men, his hair strewn over the pillow and lips slightly parted. The one in the middle is lanky, glasses askew on his nose, and the one on top is more compact, arms wrapped around the one in the middle and a tiny smile on his lips.

Minsung's reminded horribly of the days right after Taeseok and Hyunjin joined them - the days where they were so, so cold and hungry and lonely, so they all curled up every night to keep warm - and his heart twinges at the sight, brain superimposing himself over Dongho.

And _oh_ , he's stressed, isn't he?

That makes... a sickening amount of sense.

If he and Minsoo had been together since Minsung last saw him, he'd have known Minsoo for close to nine years, which... 

_shit_.

"Are you having an epiphany?" Taeseok asks, cotton-candy pink hair nearly blinding in the sterile white room, and Minsung sighs, raking a hand through his hair.

"Maybe, Seokkie."

"...you're gay for tall, dark, and brooding, aren't you?"

" _Kim Taeseok, you shut your fuck_."

* * *

"...what's he like?"

Dongho raises his head, the motion jostling the hood pulled over his head, and Minsung sighs, gaze dropping to his papers.

"He's... he's my little brother, but I haven't seen him in a while, so... I was curious. What's he like?"

"Brave," Dongho immediately replies, dipping his head to stare at his papers once more. "Brave, and strong, and reckless."

"...sounds like the Minsoo I remember."

"He cares, too," Dongho continues, and Minsung pauses at that, gaze drifting to the dark-haired man opposite him. "Especially about us. _Especially_ about Jaewon."

There's history there, Minsung thinks - the kind of history forged amidst flames and death and bullets raining down from overhead.

"There's nobody I'd rather follow," Dongho concludes, and Minsung gives him a wry grin, pen tapping against his papers.

"Then it's a good thing you aren't following me, huh?"

The truth is this: Dongho is not a bad commander. Dongho is actually a pretty good commander.

Minsung just hates him.

But when Dongho raises his head, a tiny smile playing on his lips, Minsung has to face the fact that _he doesn't quite know if that's true anymore_.

Because Dongho _cares_. He cares about the people in the mess hall, cares about Youngjoon and the others, cares about Daehyun and Jaewon, and, most importantly, cares about Minsoo.

...oh, fuck.

Taeseok was right.

"Is everything okay?" Dongho asks, and Minsung forces a laugh, grip tightening on his pen.

"Yep! Everything's fine! There's nothing to worry about!"

Dongho's brows scrunch together, and _oh no, he's hot, oh fuck_ -

"Right," he slowly replies, and Minsung is going to _scream_.

* * *

Honestly, Minsung can pretty confidently say he never intended to kiss Dongho while hiding in a bush with a skunk on his head, but there's a first time for everything.

In retrospect, that was the highlight of his night.

By the time Hyunjin takes down the wires, there's a fragile understanding that _yes_ , they do want to kiss, but Minsoo comes first now, and kisses can come later (much to Minsung's chagrin). After all, they need to find Minsoo, and they can't do that if they're making out in a bush.

The facility is dark and quiet in the night, and Minsung's boots are terrifyingly loud on the tile. Dongho, on the other hand, is completely silent next to him, and Minsung has to resist the urge to grasp his hand. What is he, in pre-school? He doesn't need to hold Dongho's hand.

Even if he wants to.

 _Focus_.

There's only one door with its lights on, and Minsung tip-toes towards it, hand falling to the gun at his side. Hopefully he won't have to use it, but if worst comes to worst, he _will_.

He leans over to stare into the viewing window-

and _oh_.

Minsoo's sitting inside, expression blank and brown hair hanging around his face, and _god_ , he's so small and skinny and chained to the wall, but it's Minsoo, he's here, he's alive, and Minsung tears open the door, sprinting forwards and ready to gather Minsoo into his arms-

"Minsung!"

Minsung blinks, eyes wide, as Minsoo hurls himself forwards, and time skips in chunks.

One: Dongho's grabbing the back of his jacket, hauling him backwards as Minsoo dives at him with a knife.

Two: Dongho's kicking Minsoo in the gut, his hand on his gun, and Minsoo's not even looking at him, just looking at Minsung-

Three: Minsoo's tied up on the ground, and Minsung can't breathe. 

"Kill him," Minsoo recites, voice empty and flat and _blank_ , and _Minsung can't breathe_.

His little brother isn't here.

His little brother is gone, and Minsung doesn't think he's coming back.

**Author's Note:**

> this is incomplete ig, but if there's enough demand, i might do more!!
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


End file.
